{"id":23220,"date":"2020-08-14T03:00:21","date_gmt":"2020-08-14T10:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/?p=23220"},"modified":"2020-08-13T14:40:38","modified_gmt":"2020-08-13T21:40:38","slug":"i-hate-to-burst-your-bubble-one-indie-authors-unrealistic-expectations-to-success-by-keri-kruspe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2020\/08\/14\/i-hate-to-burst-your-bubble-one-indie-authors-unrealistic-expectations-to-success-by-keri-kruspe\/","title":{"rendered":"I Hate to Burst Your Bubble\u2026 One Indie Author\u2019s (Un)Realistic Expectations to Success by Keri Kruspe"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"I<\/a>Let\u2019s welcome back monthly columnist Keri Kruspe<\/a> as she shares with us \u201cI Hate to Burst Your Bubble\u2026 One Indie Author\u2019s (Un)Realistic Expectations to Success.\u201d Enjoy!<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

When I was finally given the chance to work on my lifelong dream of becoming a published<\/strong>, full time author, I had some firm, unshakable beliefs as to how that would come about.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As I jumped into the profession, I was convinced I had everything I needed to make it happen quickly. I saw it all. I\u2019d launch my book, quit my job, and rake in the money\u2026 all within the same month.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But\u2026 did it?<\/strong> Let\u2019s take a quick peek of my expectations in becoming a full-time, best-selling author before I answer that question.<\/span><\/p>\n

A quick peek of my expectations\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

My number one belief <\/b>after I finished my first novel ten years ago was I\u2019d have no problem landing a publisher. <\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019d get one quickly and would be offered boatloads of cash for the privilege of representing my book. I\u2019d make enough money to not only quit my day job right away, but to never worry about my financial future again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"woman<\/a>In my mind, it was all there. A publisher\/agent would gleefully hand me a contract with a hefty advance. The money would pour in, and I would happily sit at my desk, creating new worlds of romance and adventure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Did I find that publisher\/agent?<\/b><\/p>\n

I wrote query letters and proudly sent over one hundred of the little beasties to various publishers. <\/span><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t have to tell you it didn\u2019t take long to be the proud owner of a lovely stack of rejection letters. Let\u2019s not mention the cricket sounds of the queries from the folks that didn\u2019t bother answering.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not that I blame them. I pulled that first manuscript out not too long ago and was shocked. Not only did I write a cringe-worthy script, my plot was so full of holes I could have played miniature golf on it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What expectations? I have to edit this novel?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Another huge misconception<\/b> I had was I only needed to write my novel once.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"manuscript\"<\/a>After all, I thought all I had to do was hand in the manuscript to a publisher and wipe my hands of the whole thing. Editing was never a consideration for me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After all, I\u2019d been an avid reader for the last twenty years. (Avid means I read at least a book a week if not more.)<\/span><\/p>\n

The publisher would massage my work into a shiny something that would awe the masses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t think it was my job to send them a completed, professional manuscript. It was up to them to \u201csee through\u201d any issues I had as a writer and \u201cmentor\u201d me to the higher level if needed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another Assumption on How Many Books to Write per Year\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Another big fallacy<\/b> I had goes hand-in-hand with the aforementioned assumption. I could take all the time I needed between books. Maybe write one a year\u2026 or maybe two years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In my defense, most of my favorite authors come out with their latest books no more than once a year. Heck, I used to mark my calendar or scan Amazon to put their books on my wish list so I wouldn\u2019t forget.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"audience\"<\/a>Yeah, I had a clear vision of what that lifestyle was like.<\/b> I\u2019d kick back, taking nine or ten months to write my next novel. Then I\u2019d send the first draft off to my agent\/publisher, and not think about it until they told me my adoring fans were eagerly waiting for me to either be at a book signing or at some convention where I\u2019d give a motivational speech. (I\u2019m a weirdo, I love public speaking.)<\/span><\/p>\n

After that, I\u2019d relax for two or three months to allow me to \u201crecuperate\u201d and brainstorm my next best-seller.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Expectations vs. Reality\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

So, did everything happen like I thought it would?<\/b> The simple answer is, of course not.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As with everything else in life, we either embrace the real world and research what we need to be successful -or- we move on to something else.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I am a stubborn individual (after all, my astrological sign is Taurus the bull), and I\u2019m tenacious enough to want to become a successful, full-time author. No matter what ridiculous vision I had that got in my way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead of wallowing in self-imposed misery<\/b>, I did some research. <\/span><\/p>\n

I started by finding out how other writers embarked on their careers. I took heart that many successful writers had secular jobs before becoming full-time authors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n